Deemed by Albert Einstein to be "the father of modern science," Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) and his accomplishments are portrayed in this collection of writings and documents by and about the great Italian polymath, originally published more than 50 years ago. It includes selections from Galileo's own works, full of the thrill and pride of discovery, as well as assessments of his achievement by both his contemporaries and modern physicists like Philip Frank and Morris R. Cohen.